김완선 ~ 강아지

Kim Wan Sun, “Puppy”

I still remember the first moment I heard this song. It was as some friends and I started to tuck into a late lunch at a galbi restaurant. Despite the terrible acoustics, the song still struck me immediately. Kim Wan Sun has been a powerhouse since the 80’s, and while her most recent work has been focusing more on behind the scenes, “Puppy” is a demonstration that her talent has not waned. I think the song is intended to be interpreted as a simile (every mention of a dog is accompanied by the modifier “like”) instead of literally, but the song remains powerful regardless of interpretation. And considering Korea’s stray dog population is, well, considerable, I don’t necessarily feel the need to choose an interpretation.

Also, here’s a translation of the text that appears in the video:

Love, like a person, is always leaving, but longing, like a dog, is always waiting.